I did some math today. It was fairly easy. Assuming I am correct that a 20megawatt capacity means 7300 megawatt-hours a year it really adds up quickly.

I found that 0.22% of our power is solar. I said 0.22% and how many billions were spent to get to this level? A comparison shows 24 billion spent under Obama in 2011 from the Federal level. States also did pitch in but numbers there are harder to obtain. Cities and some Counties also joined to make credits and subsidies. In 2013 utility scale solar power generated 8.86 million megawatt-hours

...Most are 20 megawatt natural gas power plants, with a capital cost ranging between $15 million and $20 million... http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/ … 1401080079

This means 1200 natural gas plants could have been made with a capacity of 8,760,000 megawatt-hours.

Yes 1 year of Natural Gas using solar subsidies would make almost exactly the same amount of power as all the Solar EVER made in the United States.

One could imagine us doing this instead, then leaving 24 billion a year left over for deficit reduction, benefits for Veterans, or for even improving the grid.

Oh and natural gas plants are smaller, take less space, and natural gas can be exported for profit.